The present invention relates to a repair device for a vehicle, and more specifically, to a repair device to be used when drying paint, putty or the like applied to a panel surface.
In an example of a repair device for a vehicle to be used when drying paint, putty, etc. applied to a panel surface of a vehicle or the like, the panel surface is irradiated with infrared rays to dry the paint. This conventional repair device for a vehicle is equipped with a drying apparatus having a plurality of infrared-ray irradiation devices, and a support rack for supporting the drying apparatus at a predetermined angle and height with respect to the panel surface. The support rack has a support block capable of supporting the drying apparatus at a desired angle, a column on which the support block is provided so as to be vertically slidable, and a leg portion provided at the lower end of the column. The operator is enabled to change the fixation angle and height of the drying apparatus on the support rack, making it possible to fix the drying apparatus at an arbitrary position.
Further, after the application of paint to the panel surface, the drying apparatus provided in the repair device for a vehicle is installed in close proximity of the panel surface, and infrared rays are applied thereto. The infrared rays irradiation dine is appropriately changed according to the kind of paint and the thickness of the paint film. Further, the irradiation distance is varied according to the surface configuration of the panel surface to which the paint has been applied, for example, the inclination angle of the panel surface. Then, after determining the infrared rays irradiation distance depending on the intuition and experience of the operator, infrared rays are irradiated. Further, the operator makes a judgment as to whether the paint has been dried or not on the basis of his intuition and experience, stopping the infrared irradiation when be determines that the paint has been dried.
In the above-described conventional drying apparatus, the operations from the installation of the drying apparatus to the control of the irradiation time are left to the operator, which means a great burden for the operator.
Further, as stated above, the control of the irradiation time mostly depends on the intuition and experience of the operator. Thus, when an operator with little experience operates the drying apparatus, it can happen that the application of infrared rays is stopped before the coating material applied to the panel surface has been completely dried, thereby impairing the quality of the paint surface.
Further, in setting the infrared rays irradiation distance, it is necessary to appropriately adjust the angle and height of the drying apparatus with respect to the panel surface so that the panel surface may be uniformly irradiated with the infrared rays. However, the panel surface is not always flat; it may consist of a plurality of planes as in the case of a portion around a taillight. Thus, when a person inexperienced in the operation of the drying apparatus installs the drying apparatus, there will be generated unevenness in the irradiation of the panel surface with infrared rays, resulting in an unstable paint surface quality.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a repair device for a vehicle capable of reducing the labor of the operator in the operation of drying paint, putty or the like. Further, the present invention aims to provide a repair device for a vehicle that is easy to operate and provides a high quality paint surface.
A repair device for a vehicle according to the present invention includes a drying apparatus for drying a coating material applied to a panel surface, a distance detection sensor provided on the drying apparatus and adapted to detect the distance from the drying apparatus to the panel surface to which the coating material is applied, and a moving device for moving the drying apparatus along the panel surface. The moving device moves the drying apparatus along the panel surface such that the value detected by the distance detection sensor is a value within a predetermined range.
In this way, in the repair device for a vehicle of the present invention, there is provided a moving device supporting the drying apparatus always at a fixed distance from the panel surface coated with the coating material, so that the coating material is always dried under a fixed condition. That is, even if an operator with little experience handles the vehicle repair device, it is possible to obtain a dried surface with good quality. Further, the drying apparatus is automatically installed at a position allowing efficient drying of the coating material applied to the panel surface, thereby substantially reducing the labor of the operator. Here, the coating material applied to the panel surface consists of a material which cures by being dried, such as a paint, putty or the like.
A repair device for a vehicle according to the present invention may further include a drying apparatus for drying a coating material applied to a panel surface, a dryness detection sensor for detecting the dryness of the coating material applied to the panel surface, and a moving device for moving the drying apparatus to another region of the panel surface when it is determined by to dryness detection sensor that the panel surface is dry.
That is, when drying the coating material applied to the panel surface, the drying apparatus is moved while checking the drying state of the coating material, so that the coating material is reliably dried. Thus, even if an operator with little experience handles the vehicle repair device, it is possible to obtain a dried surface with good quality. Further, upon drying of the coating material, the position of the drying apparatus with respect to the panel surface is automatically changed, so that there is no need to control the requisite time for drying, thereby reducing the labor of the operator.
Note that, a repair device for a vehicle according to the present invention may have a structure such that: the moving device includes a longitudinal frame, a lateral frame provided so as to be slidable in the vertical direction of the longitudinal frame, and an arm frame which is provided so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the lateral frame and in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and which is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction thereof using the lateral frame as a rotation axis; and the drying apparatus is provided at the distal end of the arm frame so as to be at a desired angle. That is, the moving device supporting the drying apparatus includes a plurality of movable portions, and moves the drying apparatus along the panel surface by moving the plurality of movable portions.
The drying apparatus may be equipped with an infrared-ray irradiation device for applying infrared rays to the coating material applied to the panel surface, and a blower for blowing air warmed by the infrared rays from the infrared-ray irradiation device toward the coating material applied to the panel surface. In the drying apparatus of this construction, it is possible to apply infrared rays directly to the coating material applied to the panel surface, so that the drying of the coating material is expedited by the radiation heat of the infrared rays. Further, the air warmed by the infrared rays, that is, warm air, is blown against the coating material, and due to the resultant synergistic effect, the coating material can be dried in a shorter time. In warming the air blown by the blower, it is also possible to provide a dedicated infrared-ray radiation device for the blower.
The distance detection sensor may have an oscillating portion emitting an ultrasonic wave, a receiving portion for receiving the ultrasonic wave from the oscillating portion, and a conversion processing portion for measuring the time it takes for the ultrasonic wave from the oscillating portion to reach the receiving portion and converting the time to a distance. That is, it is possible to adopt an ultrasonic distance measuring sensor or the like. Of course, the distance detection sensor of the present invention is not restricted to the ultrasonic distance measuring sensor. Any type of sensor will do as long as it is capable of measuring the distance between the panel surface coated with the coating material and the drying apparatus.
The drying state detection sensor preferably consists of a sensor which recognizes the drying state of the coating material by detecting the solvent volatilized into the air from the coating material at the time of drying of the coating material. For example, it is possible to adopt a gas sensor which determines that the dried state has been attained when the amount (concentration) of solvent contained in the air has become a predetermined value or less. Apart from the sensor which recognizes the dried state by detecting the volatilized solvent, it is also possible to adopt, for example, a sensor which recognizes the dried state by monitoring the temperature of the panel surface. That is, any type of sensor will do as long as it is capable of recognizing the dried state.
Further, the drying apparatus may be equipped with an ultraviolet-ray irradiation device which applies ultraviolet rays to the coating material applied to the panel surface. In this case, it is possible to dry a putty, paint or the like containing an ultraviolet polymerization composition that cures upon absorbing ultraviolet rays. It is also possible to adopt a construction in which the drying apparatus consists of the ultraviolet-ray irradiation device only.
Thus, as described above in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide a repair device for vehicle capable of reducing the labor of the operator in paint and putty drying operation. Further, it is possible to provide a repair device for vehicle which is easy to handle and which provides a high quality paint surface.